Concept in Definition ABC

The tortoise belongs to the order of reptiles and is a vertebrate with reproduction oviparous whose temperature is regulated by the effect of environment in your body. It is an eminently herbivorous, peaceful animal and some of its species are found in danger of extinction.

Land and sea turtles, and the capacity for life

Turtles are classified according to their natural habitat and there are terrestrial and water turtles. The terrestrial is a peaceful animal that is widely accepted as a pet. Its most characteristic physical feature is its resistant shell that serves as a cuirass and that is attached to the plastron or lower part. Another of their genuine traits is their lack of teeth and their longevity (they can live up to 80 years).

Giant specimens

The giant land tortoise is the most striking, as its size is much larger than the common tortoise. Some specimens have achieved a certain notoriety, such as the "Solitary George" of the Galapagos Islands (who died in 2012 being the last specimen of its species, chelonoidis abingdonii) or “Pepe the missionary”, who died in 2014 although his species is not in danger of extinction.

The aquatic turtle reaches a meter and a half in length in adulthood. Most species live in shallow waters and stand out for their high velocity (greater than 30 km / h). Unlike the land turtle, the one that lives in the aquatic environment cannot hide its head in the shell. Although their habitat is the sea, they need to surface to breathe every ten minutes or so, since their breathing it is of the pulmonary type.

The turtle in culture

Like other animals, the turtle is present in various cultural manifestations. Among the well-known animal fables, that of the hare and the tortoise stands out, a whole lesson in perseverance and toughness.

Its curious shell makes it an animal nice for the kids and in recent years some fictional characters, the Ninja Turtles, have become famous.

In the gastronomic sphere, in some cultures the recipe for turtle soup is very popular, a delicacy of Asian origin that has become an international dish.

Finally, it must be remembered that this animal is very present in some mythological accounts of antiquity (the legend of the playwright's death stands out Aeschylus, that an oracle predicted that he would die being crushed by a house and the prediction was fulfilled, because he died struck by the shell of a turtle that fell from the Darling).